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Friday, 13 February 2015

Guest Book Review: Amelia Thorne - Tied Up With Love

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

‘We’re from KMW. Do exactly as you’re told and you won’t get hurt...'

Being grabbed off the street, blind folded, tied up and thrown into a van was not what Izzy expected to happen when she stepped out the door that morning. But when an accidental kidnapping at the hands of the sexy Ethan Chase and his 'Kidnap My Wife' sexual fantasy business leads to just that, Izzy seizes the chance to turn her misfortune into a brilliant new job opportunity… Since then, life has been one big tangle of new client meetings, fake kidnapping pick-ups, and handling the temperamental, but drop dead gorgeous 'bad boy' Mr Chase. But, as liberating as being tied up in Ethan's life is, Izzy knows the time is fast approaching when she must make some decisions and take charge of her future. The only question is: will Ethan allow himself to be a part of it?

Tied Up With Love is the second novel from Amelia Thorne but the first I have read (shamefully Beneath the Moon and Stars is still waiting to be read on my Kindle) and it certainly lived up to all the wonderful things I have heard about Amelia's writing. Fresh, original, funny and a frightfully good read Tied Up With Love deserves all of your attention as in Izzy and Ethan, Amelia has created two wonderful characters who have you rooting for them from the start right through until the very last page. Amelia writes extremely well and just lets the story flow, you really get the feeling she enjoyed writing the story and was willing to just let the characters dictate where the story went as all their trials and tribulations just seemed naturally part of the plot and were not forced or boring to read about. In fact they are what made the story so riproaringly exciting and riveting. In fact I didn't want this to end and would love to read more about all the characters featured.I knew from the very first page that I was going to love this book, you couldn't but fail to fall in love with the characters despite all their flaws and failings. This is what made them so real and easy to identify with. Nobody wants to read of perfect characters who easily achieve their hearts desire. A little heartbreak and hardship are what make for an enticing storyline. Plus the cover and title are just so apt. Normally I am left wondering what the title has actually got to do with the contents of the book but not in this case. Amelia couldn't have chosen a more fitting title as Tied Up With Love certainly was the right name for a book that had the reader tied up and entangled with the rollercoaster of emotions at play through out Izzy and Ethan's fabulously written story.With one of the best opening scenes I have read in a long time Tied Up With Love begins with a bang as Izzy Franklin is kidnapped by the KMW (Kindnap My Wife) and bundled into a van where she is driven to Oakwood House. Izzy is just your normal single girl looking for a job so for this to happen and to be blindfolded and tied up her world is instantly turned upside down and cliche though it may sound her life changes forever but in a good way. She soon realises there has been a total and utter mistake as she was not the intended target and nor does she want to be as the company is run for couples to indulge their every day fantasies of being kidnapped and brought to a house where all their role play wishes come true. Izzy is not into this at all and before you go thinking this is all a bit too 'Fifty Shades' for me think again because it is so not. Quite frankly Fifty Shades was ridiculous and I barely made it to the halfway point in book one before giving up. Yes, there is plenty of sex mentioned throughout the book but it is not rammed down our throat and as explicit as in the aforementioned book and it did all add to the story as the relationship between Ethan and Izzy developed. When the company realise their error Ethan releases Izzy but not before something changes and a connection is established although he does his best to fight this.Izzy offers to work for the company as her job search has been less than fruitful. Sure it is only for six weeks before she embarks upon the trip of a lifetime to Oz. But six weeks can be a long time in a book and alot can happen. Ethan is reluctant at first to have a woman involved in the type of company run by himself, brother and cousin but once he agrees Izzy sets about transforming the company as she can see there is room for improvement and expansion with the ultimate aim of making more money and running a successful company. There was no character that was dull or boring or who did not serve their purpose, normally I find there is always a character who plays no role or adds nothing to the story. But in this case be it Bex (Izzy's soon to be married best friend) or Gizmo, Kyle and Jim (who help run the company and provide plenty of laugh out loud moments) all help to make the story just that more real and entertaining.Izzy falls for Ethan Chase after just one day and normally I would struggle to believe this could be the case in real life but here because the writing is so real, vivid, heartfelt and believable I even found myself falling just that little bit for Ethan. He was dark and brooding and had that air of mystery about him as events from the past still haunted him and affected how he dealt with situations and relationships in the present. But that made Izzy all the more want to break down his barriers and reveal his innermost thoughts and feelings. Ethan's policy towards women of 'shag them and then abandon them' could not really be the person he is beneath his so called tough exterior as men normally hide their innermost feelings for a very good reason.Izzy does her utmost best to discover the real Ethan but does not want to get hurt herself in the process and as we read of their journey together an awful lot becomes clear and the reader becomes more and more invested in the outcome for both of the main characters. I loved how Izzy didn't give up on Ethan as she could see he was a man who was capable of love and could offer much in a relationship. He believes he is not boyfriend material and that he doesn't treat women well but the reader knows there is alot more to Ethan than meets the eye. There are several things which conspire to keep Ethan and Izzy apart but that doesn't stop you wanting the pair to get it together and I loved them all the more for their attitudes and willingness to give everything a try. I thoroughly enjoyed this uplifting, inspiring, terrific story which gives us all hope in our quest to find the 'one' and I urge everyone to buy a copy of this as you won't be left disappointed instead immensely satisfied.Amelia is clearly a talent to be reckoned with and hopefully there will be loads more books to come from this skilled, brilliant author who had me in the palm of her hands right from page one. Please hurry up and write the next book Amelia as your legions of fans will be patiently waiting. I meanwhile will rectify my error and have the luxury of reading Beneath the Moon and Stars.Many thanks to Amelia for sending a copy of Tied Up With Love to Sharon so I could review it.